Operations Manager (Food Manufacturing)

TL;DR

Operations Manager (Food Manufacturing): Leading production across six manufacturing lines for fruit fillings and purees with an accent on safety, quality, delivery, waste reduction, OEE, and labour efficiency. Focus on developing a 45-person production team, implementing Lean and continuous improvement initiatives, and solving complex operational, quality, and safety issues in a high-volume food manufacturing environment.

Location: Onsite in Sittingbourne, United Kingdom. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Salary: £55,000–£60,000 per annum, plus a 5% bonus scheme.

Company

hirify.global is a global food ingredients company creating bakery, patisserie, chocolate, and fruit-based solutions, with more than 11,000 employees across 87 countries.

What you will do

• Lead production activities across six manufacturing lines and ensure schedules are delivered safely, efficiently, and on time.
• Own performance and technical standards while monitoring Safety, Quality, Delivery, Waste, OEE, and Labour Efficiency KPIs.
• Build a strong food safety and quality culture in line with BRCGS, HACCP, and company standards.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 45 permanent production employees.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to increase productivity and reduce costs.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Technical, Warehousing, and Logistics teams on resource planning, investments, new product introductions, and operational improvements.

Requirements

• Proven production leadership experience in a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading large operational teams in a high-volume manufacturing setting.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, and quality management systems.
• Demonstrated success with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, TPM, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Experience managing KPIs, budgets, operational performance, root-cause investigations, and corrective actions.
• Strong leadership, coaching, analytical, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice to have

• Food Safety, HACCP, or IOSH qualifications.
• Experience with SAP software.

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent, full-time schedule with core hours from Monday to Friday, 08:30–17:00.
• 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Career growth opportunities and access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses.
• Comprehensive training and support, including five planned training days for every worker in 2026.
• Employee benefits platform, cycle-to-work scheme, and an inclusive, supportive work environment.